A writer, editor, and critic, Merril was a major figure in science fiction. In the 1940s she belonged to a group of sci-fi writers called the Futurians, which included Isaac Asimov and Frederick Pohl (her husband, 1945–53). As an anthologist of science fiction, Merril helped sci-fi writers achieve greater visibility. Her books include Shadow on the Hearth (1950), Daughters of Earth (1968), and Survival Ship and Other Stories (1973).